8 Strategies for Winning in Business Without Being a Jerk

By Richard Pachter

RISMEDIA, August 23, 2008-(MCT)-No disrespect intended, but it’s possible that whatever is holding proverbial “nice guys” back may require something more powerful than this book, “Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office: Eight Strategies for Winning in Business Without Being a Jerk” by Russ Edelman, Tim Hiltabiddle and Charles G. Manz; Portfolio, 288 pages ($23.95), to dislodge any impediments from his (or her) path to success. But there is a chance it might.

Nonetheless, authors Edelman, Hiltabiddle and Manz do a creditable job of laying out the problems of nice but ineffective people. They also provide numerous examples of business people who exhibit such qualities and how these traits affect both their performance and the perceptions of colleagues and supervisors.

They also submit a “Nice Guy Bill of Rights” that reads more like a mild-mannered manifesto:

1) Self Awareness-Know your strengths & weaknesses.
2) Speak Up-Let your opinions be heard.
3) Set Boundaries-Set and respect them.
4) Confront-Address issues directly and without fear.
5) Choose-Make choices without guilt.
6) Expect Results-Be accountable to others and yourself.
7) Be Bold-Push the envelope.
8) Win-Finish first.

This is, to some extent, the type of tome I generally avoid, a self-help book. But in this case, its value extends beyond wimpy, wish-washy, well-meaning workers to a more general audience. Although it may be primarily aimed at people whose inability to say “no” proves to be an ongoing impediment to their success, others can benefit from this book, as well.

There are many people-some not so nice-who could make good use of some of the wisdom herein. For example, managing your time is important, as is directly communicating your expectations and intentions. As for staying focused and completing tasks on time, most of this advice is fairly obvious and applicable to nice people, bad people, mean people or just normal people who are nice most of the time.

But ultimately, the Nice Guy shtick wears a little thin. Reading the numerous anecdotes about milquetoast goofballs who sabotage themselves by being acquiescent and compliant rather than assertive and confident may be fine in small doses, but a whole book’s worth is a bit much. However, if you’re the office doormat, wind up training a new hire for a job that you’re qualified for, find yourself sitting in an empty office working on an “important” project while everyone else is at the company’s annual holiday party or are just concerned about your lack of advancement, this could be the book for you.

Richard Pachter is the business book columnist for the Miami Herald.